Container carrier with integral handle loop

ABSTRACT

A can or similar container for a variety of contents, including paints, and comprising a sleeve of plastic material with its upper edge portion interlocked with the can end and closure assembly and provided with substantially horizontal semicylindrical slit means forming a semi-cylindrical strap portion below the can top and which strap portion may be stretched over the adjacent portion of the sleeve and can top to provide a handle for carrying or otherwise supporting the can.

United States Patent 1 Owen [4 June 5, 1973.

[54] CONTAINER CARRIER WITH INTEGRAL HANDLE LOOP [75] Inventor: RonaldC. Owen, Harwood Heights,

[73] Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago,

[22] Filed: July 15, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 54,977

52 0.5. CI. v.220/94 R, 220 42 1) 51 Int. Cl. ....B65d 25/28 58 Field ofSearch ..220/91, 42, 94, 94 A,

220/73; 206/65 C; 229/52 A, 52 AL; 215/100 A; 294/872 [5 6] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,313,059 3/1943 Freeman ..220/42 E3,620,410 11/1971 Giese, Jr. ..220/94 R 3,341,107 9/1967 Poupitch....229/52 AM 3,343,711 9/1967 Godshalk ..220/91 X 2,194,898 3/1940l-lanford ..229/52 A 3,268,070 8/1966 Cunningham ..206/65 C 3 ,348,67410/ l 967 Poupitch ..206/65.C 2,982,434 5/1961 l-lidding... ..220/94 3,232,422 2/1966 Whyte ..206/56 3,307,321 3/1967 Primary Examiner samuelB. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-James R. Garrett Attorney-Robert W.Beart, Michael Kovac and Jack R. l-lalvorsen [57] ABSTRACT A can orsimilar container for a variety of contents, ineluding paints, andcomprising a sleeve of plastic material with its upper edge portioninterlocked with the can end and closure assembly and'provided withsubstantially horizontal semi-cylindrical slit means forming asemi-cylindrical strap portion below the can top and which strap portionmay be stretched over the adjacent portion of the sleeve and can top toprovide a handle for carrying or otherwise supporting the can.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Beart ..294/87i2 X PATENIEUJun 5 I975 vINVENTOR. Rang/d GI Owen His AH'ys CONTAINER CARRIER WITH INTEGRALHANDLE LOOP The invention is concerned with handled cans or similarcontainers for a variety of products, including paints, and aims toprovide an improved handle arrangement therefor.

In the usual cans of this type, such as paint cans, there is provided ametal bail handle with pivotal mounting to the can body. Such bails andtheir interconnections with the can bodies are costly and also interferewith labeling. According to the present invention, a plastic sleeve isinitially assembled to the can body by interlocking the upper edgethereof with the end seam or bead during the seaming operation. Thesleeve is provided with horizontal slit means near the top of the canbody and extending about half way therearound to provide asemicylindrical strap portion initially lying flat against the can bodybut which strap portion may be manipulated to a position extending abovethe top of the can and serving as a handle when ready for use.

An object of the invention is to provide a can or similar container witha plastic handle member initially lying flat against the can body andmanipulatable to a position above the can top when ready for use as ahandle.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a handle member as anintegral part of a plasticsleeve which is interlocked with theperipherally seamed end of the can assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide the interlocked sleevewith semicylindrical slit means forming a semi-cylindrical strap portionwhich may be stretched to a position above the can top to serve as thehandle member when ready for use.

The invention still further aims to provide a container and handleassembly wherein the sleeve lends itself to inexpensive initiallyinterlocking association with the can end during formation of theperipheral seam or bead therearound to form the load supportingconnection when the handle strap portion is moved to can supportingposition above the can top.

The above and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious andwill be hereinafter more fully pointed out in connection with the detaildescription of the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled can and sleeve with thehandle strap in its initial non-use position flat against the can body;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the strap inposition for use as a handle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2showing the interlocking between the sleeve and the peripheral seam ofthe can assembly, and

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the can body and attached sleeve, the canlid retainer section, and the lid.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, the can or similar containerincludes a body portion 10, a lid or cover 12, and a cover retainersection 14, each shown prior to assembly in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3,the upper peripheral edge of the body wall is turned outwardly and thendownwardly to form a peripheral rim l6 spaced outwardly from theadjacent surface of the body wall to receive therein the upper edgeportion of a plastic sleeve 18 which hugs the adjacent surface of thebody wall and may be slightly stretched for this purpose.

The retainer section 14 for the lid or cover is in the form of anannulus with an outer downwardly facing groove defined by outer andinner skirt portions 20, 22, respectively, depending from a connectingroof portion 24. This downwardly facing groove fits over the end of Iand this interlocks the edge portion of the sleeve within the rim 16 tothe seamed end of the can body.'Variations of this seamed connectionmight be of the interlocking bead type.

The inner shelf portion of the annular retainer 14 includes an upwardlyopening groove defined by inner and outer walls 28, 30, respectively,joined by a bottom wall 32, the inner wall 28 terminating in an outershelf portion which, in turn, terminates in a depending strengtheningbead 34. The lid or cover 12 includes a closing central portion 36 withan outer upwardly extending double thickness peripheral strengtheningwall 38, within which is a depending peripheral double wall skirtportion 40 adapted for friction or snap fit within the groove formed bythe retainer wall portions 28, 30, 32.

With the sleeve interlocked with the can body 10 and seam formationthereof, the can is filled and the contents sealed by application of thecover 12 to the retainer section 14 as described above. The filled canwill have the appearance of FIG. 1 for shipment, storage or shelfdisplay. The sleeve has a semi-cylindrical slit 42 disposed slightlybelow the interlocked upper edge portion thereof. This slit 42 definestherebelow a semicylindrical strap portion 44 initially lying flatagainst the body wall with the remainder of the sleeve forshipment,storage or shelf display of the sealed container. When ready for use,the strap portion 44 is stretched or otherwise stressed to extend overthe adjacent edge of the can and assume the position of FIG. 2. Whengrasped as a handle for carrying the can or otherwise serving as the cansupport, the load will be transmitted through the sleeve portionremaining interlocked with the can end assembly at substantiallydiametrically opposed areas. The plastic material of the sleeve 18 maybe of the type to receive printing and thus accept part of the canlabeling and for this purpose the sleeve may be extended downwardlyalong the can body and an additional slit may parallel the slit 42 todefine the handle strap portion 44, which, in turn, may assume a V or Uconfiguration from diametrically opposed areas when initially lying flatagainst the can body with the remaining portion of the sleeve.

' I claim:

1. A handled can or like container assembly, comprising a body wall andcover means joined to the body wall by a peripheral end seam formation,and a tubular sleeve of plastics material mounted circumferentiallyabout the upper portion of the body wall in surface contact therewithand with the upper end portion thereof interlocked within the seamformation, said sleeve having slit means generally paralleling its upperposed areas adjacent the interlocked upper edge Iportion thereofcircumferentially about one side of the body wall and forming below saidslit means a strap portion to be manipulated from its initialsurfacecontact with the body wall to a portion above the top of the canassembly to form a handle with the ends thereof remaining integral withthe sleeve.

2. A handled can or like container'assem bly as i '10 l the retainermember.

claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeyeextends axially of the body only alimited extent with the slit means comprising a single semicircular slitforming with the 'bottom edgeof the sleevevthe saidstrap portions H i 3.A handled can or like "container assembly as claimedin claim 1,whereinthe body wall is turned out,

wardly and downwardly to receive therein "the upper edge portion of thesleeve forinterlocking with the seam formation.

4. A handledcan or like container assembly as 'claimed in claim 1,wherein thecover means includes an annular retainer member interlockedwith the seam formation and a cover closing the central opening in

1. A handled can or like container assembly, comprising a body wall andcover means joined to the body wall by a peripheral end seam formation,and a tubular sleeve of plastics material mounted circumferentiallyabout the upper portion of the body wall in surface contact therewithand with the upper end portion thereof interlocked within the seamformation, said sleeve having slit means generally paralleling its upperedge and extending from substantially diaMetrically opposed areasadjacent the interlocked upper edge portion thereof circumferentiallyabout one side of the body wall and forming below said slit means astrap portion to be manipulated from its initial surface contact withthe body wall to a portion above the top of the can assembly to form ahandle with the ends thereof remaining integral with the sleeve.
 2. Ahandled can or like container assembly as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe sleeve extends axially of the body only a limited extent with theslit means comprising a single semicircular slit forming with the bottomedge of the sleeve the said strap portion.
 3. A handled can or likecontainer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body wall isturned outwardly and downwardly to receive therein the upper edgeportion of the sleeve for interlocking with the seam formation.
 4. Ahandled can or like container assembly as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe cover means includes an annular retainer member interlocked with theseam formation and a cover closing the central opening in the retainermember.